Global Education Funding Doesn’t Match Priority

A global push for universal primary education by 2015 has made positive strides but leaves a large teacher shortage and much still to be accomplished, as noted previously on the Education Town Hall. Therefore, the United Nations’ global consultation on education is looking toward post-2015 planning. A key point in the consultation report, as in earlier ones, is that any call for education as a priority must be matched by priority in funding. The report also suggests that governments have pushed so far for what it calls “more achievable goals,” like getting children into school, without also pushing for quality in schools or more difficult goals, such as adult literacy.

Underlying many gaps in the current global education framework is the fact that it fails to address education in a holistic and integrated manner. More achievable goals are privileged, and others, such as adult literacy, are relegated to a lower priority. The goals are also not adequately targeted to reach the poor and marginalized, thus underserving those who are hard to reach.
–from the education consultation report

As part of this consultation process and in an effort to include as many voices as possible, The World We Want offers free monthly webinars. Join “Peace, Poverty and the Post-2015 Agenda” on Sept. 17:

States Reduce Funding for Schools

Just this morning, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a U.S.-focused NGO, issued a report noting that many states provide less funding for education than they did before the recession. A Politico news brief, issued in advance of the CBPP report, says that 34 states have dropped their per-student funding, with Alabama cutting the most, $1,242 per student over the last few years. BACK

Philly Tweets School Opening

In a related story, community members in Philadelphia used Twitter to report on conditions as schools re-opened after massive layoffs and closing of 24 schools.

“13 teachers gone. Classes have 33-37 students. Had to sit on my friends lap in a over crowded class,” Tweeted one high schooler.

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